Obama: Chances of Peace Under Netanyahu ‘Dim’

Says US Wouldn't Be Credible If It Went Along With Netanyahu's Backtrack

Speaking today during a press conference on the growing tensions between the US and Israel, President Obama defended distancing himself from Netanyahu on Palestinian statehood, saying the chances for peace under Netanyahu have become “dim” and that US credibility would be at stake if he weren’t honest about that.

Obama conceded that Palestinian statehood was never going to be an “overnight” process but warned that Netanyahu’s statements had made the process toward that end all but impossible.

He also rejected Netanyahu’s backtrack “clarification,” saying that Netanyahu went from saying no Palestinian statehood under his watch to a series of conditions that were virtually impossible.

Israeli officials insist the government remains committed to a two-state solution, despite Netanyahu making opposition to that a center of his campaign, and his primary coalition partner, Neftali Bennett, making opposition to Palestinian statehood a condition of joining.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.